Another Genius, A Highschool & A Not-so-Typical Musical
by AnnaCromwell
Summary: Artemis Fowl's file has been stolen. Not just any file; his personal diary. When he decides to find the thief, he's led on a goose chase, only to come back at square one. Forced to school, he meets a person who fulfills his criteria for the thief; after all, a genius and someone who knows more than anyone could know of him. Will he succeed, or will this be a game lost to a prodigy?
1. Hacker, Hacker

_B-B-B-Be careful making wishes in the dark, dark_  
_Can't be sure when they've hit their mark_  
_And besides in the mean, mean time_  
_I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart_

_I'm in the de-details with the devil_  
_So now the world can never get me on my level_  
_I just gotta get you off the cage_  
_I'm a young lover's rage_  
_Gonna need a spark to ignite_

_My songs know what you did in the dark_

_So light 'em up, up, up_  
_Light 'em up, up, up_  
_Light 'em up, up, up_

_ - My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up), Fall Out Boy_

"Butler, I need you to run me an errand. An important errand," said Artemis, working on his laptop, sitting on his bed. Artemis had changed quite a lot from his recent resurrection and had taken to listening to Fall Out Boy's "Light 'Em Up" when he sat down to work about six or more times a day. He switched off the Noise Cancellation of his headphones to listen to Butler's comment.

"And what would it be?" he asked his charge.

"There is an individual I need you to track down. Actually, I need you to _persuade Holly_ to do this task for me."

"Holly? Oh boy, tell me this is no fairy conspiracy," he said with a foreboding sigh.

"This isn't."

"Then who is this person?"

"It is a young lady. A teenager, in fact."

"And why is this young lady the target of our recon mission?"

"Well, she is quite a person."

"And where did you find her?"

"_I'm a young lover's rage, __Gonna need a spark to ignite,_" he hummed.

"Pardon?" Butler knew these were the lyrics to that song. After all, Artemis hummed them almost every morning while at breafast alone since a month.

"Pardon _me, _Butler. This song has gone to my head. Anyhow, I found her on Twitter."

"Twitter?"

"Yes. I just hacked random accounts and I stumbled across this." He showed Butler the screen. It showed the profile of a girl, aged 15.

Hibah Mirza. Francais, Deutsch, Urdu, Hindi, Molecular Chemistry Lover, Future Astrophysicist, Theoretical Physicist and Quantum Physicist. Unique, Me. New Delhi, India

"She seemed like a phoney, but then I went in deeper details, and I found that she had been authoring papers on adsorption of heavy metals by plant biomasses. She has also been actively involved in making blueprints for various libraries in UK. More than that, she had discovered an asteroid, a comet and a new supernova-" he stopped to tap "pause" on his iPhone.

"That's better. As I was saying, she is quite a girl, and I needed Holly to collect more information on her, seeing that my doing it would be quite a task, seeing as I'd have to travel to New Delhi and take admission in the school beside hers, hers being a girl's convent, not to mention potentially stalk her to know all that I need. The Internet here is not enough. Information is so lacking on her that it troubles me. I need Holly to go to her school for a week's time before I make arrangements."

"You've stalked people before. How tough could this be?" Butler asked. Artemis turned a light shade of pink.

"She's a young lady, Butler. It would be degrading to her reputation to have a stalker like me at her heels, not to put in how degrading and embarrassing it would be for me to do so."

"I understand. So Holly is to go and stalk her."

"Not stalk really, but befriend her and relay the information to me."

"Fine. But may we know why you are doing this?"

"Because she has something I need."

"And what could that be, that could lead Artemis Fowl II to stalk a teenage girl across the globe?" asked Butler.

"My personal diary."

"Your personal diary?"

"Yes. I had saved a draft of my memoirs and my diary, as well as a couple of blueprints. I was checking and I went through the logs, out of habit. What I saw shocked me. My files had been hacked and my memoirs and diary copied. When I traced it, it was only half the trail. It led all the way to Twitter, which was used as a junction, a gateway. Quite ingenious, I must say. Half the code was wiped out, bu it was the conventional predictable set. I tried to trace the IP, but she, like any self-respecting smart hacker erased any trails. All trails, except for a teaser message. 'It's funny how some people don't see the obviousness of situations,' she'd put, tagging me. I've made myself virtually invisible on the Net, so to find me she must be really good. So I decided she was the one. I need my things back, and I need them quick," he said, taking off his headphones.

"Very well." As they spoke, Holly flew in from the window, whose lock was dismantled only a few minutes ago by the ingenious Myles Fowl as a way of getting back to his elder brother for not having given him his commission of cookies for sending Beckett out while he worked.

"HEYA!" shouted Holly, making Artemis jump. The Fowl scion was not used to be given such shock treatments.

"What in Frond's name is wrong with you, Major Holly Short? Have you completely lost it?" said Artemis, looking at his phone and marking a track as a "Favorite". Holly peeked to see which. "And by the way, what is the occasion? Why are you looking like a bride on her wedding day? Are you hiding something?"

"Here says the person who himself has hid facts like how he plotted his resurrection from the people who were supposed to conduct it."

"Can you kindly lay off that subject for a while? It's done. Fun is fun and done is done."

"All right, all right. Wait," she said, and peered into the screen a little more. As if thrusting her face in wasn't enough, he thought. "Arty, who's this girl? You're following someone who lives in **_India_**?"

"Ah; about that. I meant to tell you," he said with a sigh, and a slight smile on his face, like he was hiding an enjoyable secret. Now comes the part where Artemis tells us he has a girlfriend who lives across the globe in India; boy, won't Minerva Paradizo be upset. All her hopes dashed.

She looked at the picture of the girl, holding two trophies made of Lego, one black and one white. The Google Science Fair trophies. She had a huge smile on her face, her long raven brown hair left open, reaching her elbows, her pale white skin glowing under the lights, the Tricolor projected behind her. Her cover picture was a collage of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and **_Artemis Fowl _**books. Great, Holly thought. A sciencee, a fan of books written on her Mud friend and a pretty girl. She now remembered how Paradizo had spoken of this girl. As if darling Minnie already wasn't irritated with her. She could imagine Artemis and her, sitting in his room, laughing over some neutrino joke, holding hands, Artemis leaning over to casually flip some strands of hair falling on her eyes, like they were in this picture, and telling her,

"Pretty eyes, aren't they?"

* * *

Holly was slightly taken aback by Artemis' reply. "Pretty eyes, aren't they?" he said, shaking Holly out of her reverie. "Pardon?" she said.

"She has pretty eyes. Raven brown, on the edge of black; she signifies change, transition. Even her hair; raven brown, just on the threshold of melting in black yet standing out, making her look unique. her skin color; again, signifying transition, as if she were on the crossroads of mortality and immortality. The looks of a Huntress. Choices, choices, Janus," he said, putting his sheets together in a file.

"Choices; Janus?" repeated Holly.

"Janus, god of choices. Her looks signify transition; the transgression from mortality to eternity; she has a timeless look to her, yet one look and you have no thoughts regarding whether she is living or not."

"What?" she was confused.

"Holly, if you look at me, what do you think of?"

"An undead vampire," she replied, thinking of the first thing that came to her.

"What do you think when you look at her?"

"A human goddess. Well, if girls could be goddesses."

"Like the Hunters of Artemis?" he said with a smile. She remembered reading of that mythical group of huntresses who accompanied the goddess Artemis on her hunts. Now that she thought of this, she was instantly reminded of those bow-wielding girls in the Percy Jackson books. Now even that seemed real. Artemis saw the look on her face and chuckled. "She surely isn't a Huntress, thought I wouldn't be surprised to be proved wrong. I have seen enough fiction to blindly believe it."

"Then what is she?"

"A prodigy. She hacked into my systems, took a copy of my diary and memoirs and some architectural blueprints. I need all that back. The blueprints don't matter that much; they were only a pastime. The memoirs and the diary, well, they have to come back. If she puts them in the public domain, then I am gone, for even if I sue her, which I may, the damage would be done and millions would have read it. More than that, the People would be exposed. I can't let that happen."

"So we need to track her down and then get it back. Mind wipes?"

"No; I intend to strike up a deal with her. Her valuable support could lead me to a good business venture. Her projects clearly need financial backing, not to mention the help of another ingenious brain to further research and development. I am the boy for the job. We would be excellent company for each other, not to mention just the business combination the world needs. Moreover, Mother would be happy to see me spend time with a girl my age. She's smart, and beautiful too, not to mention the face I would never forget, so striking it is."

"But we can't let another human live with the knowledge of the People."

"Like I said, I guess he already is."

"Well, looks like we've got to be on all engines."

"_So light 'em up, up, up, __Light 'em up, up, up, __Light 'em up, up, up._"


	2. A Series Of Not-So Emotional Goodbyes

_There's a drumming noise inside my head_  
_ That starts when you're around_  
_ I swear that you could hear it_  
_ It makes such an all mighty sound  
__Louder than sirens_  
_ Louder than bells_  
_ Sweeter than heaven_  
_ And hotter than hell_

_- Drumming Song, Florence + The Machine_

Hibah seemed excited, but sad, no. The usually bright, yet quiet and reserved girl, was looking happier than ever, even though it took her mother an entire fifteen minutes to figure that out. She was pretty unemotional and reserved on the whole, and hence it was not easy to say what she thought of all the time, but her mother usually understood. Today she wasn't able to decipher what actually went on in her mind. _If only Hibah would try and act like a normal teenage girl for once, _she thought. She was a mysterious kid by any standards. Her daughter hated skirts, wore clothes generally 2-4 sizes bigger than hers, was addicted to her books. Well, that was pretty much normal.

But she read books on theoretical physics, was working on a couple of articles for scientific journals, composed and listened Lizst and Beethoven, listened to Eminem, Rihanna and Lorde and generally acted like a mix of a teenager and an MIT researcher. At this point of time she was listening to Coldplay.

"Hibah?" her mother asked. She looked up, a small smile on her face.

"Yes?" she replied.

"You seem quite happy leaving."

"Why shouldn't I be? I've waited like hell for it to happen. Besides, it's not like we live in the Stone Ages. We have all sorts of means of communications; why should my friends even feel that I may never be in contact? Mamma, yaar aap bhi na... (Mom, you too...)"

"You don't really have the track record for that. You haven't spoken to Lauren even once since you left CJM."

"She isn't worth all my time, Mom. People like Soumya, Diksha; true friends are."

"Didn't you and Lauren share a good rapport?"

"Please; that backstabbing hormonal teenager? Honestly, I shouldn't have even taken the initiative to speak to her when I was in first. We were better off as the class mates who had slapped each other in Physical Training over an issue as idiotic and miniscule as chocolates. It was a mistake I will never ever make in my existence ever again."

"Hibah, this is not the way people speak of friends."

"It's the way they speak of backstabbing acquaintances. Lauren Fiona Edwards is the epitome of one such personality."

"Fine. Anyhow, we have reached your classes. You wish to meet your friends, or have you changed your mind?"

"Yes, of course. Let's go!" she said and stepped out. It was a normal working day, a Friday, actually, but for Hibah Mirza, it was her last day in the Democratic Republic of India. She was moving, moving across continents due to her father's occupation. He was an ex-Armed Forces officer who had joined a leading corporate firm & hence had to move. The family was excited in general, and even Hibah, who, unlike a typical teenager, was extremely keen on moving.

"See you after class, Mom!" she said and left.

"Hibah!" said her friends. She went and hugged them.

"So, leaving, aren't you?" said Soumya with a smirk.

"No, Soumya, she's simply going on an extended vacation and planning to never come back," said Diksha.

"Well, well, I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"

"You aren't," the two chorused. She laughed, her voice soft, yet echoing like bells, crystal clear.

"You two," she said, shaking her head.

"This is the reason those Columbans turn heads whenever you talk," said Diksha.

"No; it's because it's Wikipedia on wheels talking," Hibah replied.

"No, it's the reason why that male chauvinist Syed Ahsan Abbas has his eyes trained on you during classes."

"Classes?"

"Our classes for coaching?"

"Oh, that. Yeah. Ahsan. That idiot. He's a boy who's been ridiculing me since day one just because I'm a girl who plans to take on Physics and Mathematics as a full-on Majors three years later. Bloody male chauvinist."

"Yeah, you would say that. Just because he beat you on that quiz," said Soumya.

"No, it's because-" she began when someone tapped her on the shoulders. "Hibah?"

It was Ahsan. Girls turned around just to look at the genius playboy walk by, who gave them either a smile, or a wink. But not Hibah. For her, it was either a smirk, or a glare. Victory or defeat. They turned around to look again, as usual. He leaned by the door, looking at her with an odd expression, a mixture of victorious happiness and the sadness of departure.

"Why does he go up to her? All she does is humiliate him," murmured Jo. Hibah was nothing spectacular in looks, and by no means a diva. Yet there was an innate spark which showed on her features, either classifying her as extremely obsessed or genius. People preferred the latter. He preferred the former. The genius territory was his.

"Leave the doorway, Ahsan," she said with a cool voice.

"We need to talk," he replied.

"Please; not this clichéd dialogue," she with a groan. She walked into the balcony. "So, what is it? You lost my Physics assignment sheet?"

"No; you're leaving."

* * *

"So? People come and go, Ahsan. Life moves on. Now let me go. The class will start soon."

"Soon equals to 45 minutes. Just listen to what I've got to say."

"What?" He fumbled with his black jacket, his raven black tousled hair standing up, tousled as usual.

"Look, I know it's utterly weird, but I don't like the sound of you leaving. Is it true?"

"You should. After all, your biggest enemy is leaving. Why aren't you happy?"

"That's what puzzles me," he said, making no attempt to even come close to her.

"Me too. After all, you hate me, right?"

"Off lately, no."

"Why so?"

"I guess I'm obsessed."

"With what?"

"And they say you're a sensitive girl," he said with a chuckle.

"Excuse me?" she asked, offended.

"Don't you get what I'm getting at?"

"Frankly, no." She was trying not to.

"Ok, so here's what I think. I've been thinking about it lately, but it's funny how I like sitting close to you, how I like listening to your opinions, rather your voice. I even like your stuck-up attitude nowadays, how it seems to endearing, like you're trying to hide that inner soft person. Trust me, I can see that. Besides, I've also learnt that girls CAN do stuff boys are stereotyped for, courtesy you. You're the most unique person I've ever met."

"Thank you, and I think I know what you're getting at. Look, Ahsan, I don't hate you; well, not really. You annoy me, irritate me. You have an irritating magnetic charm which I don't like, because I'm not immune to it. And you're actually a nice boy. And I think I'm sensitive enough to get that you're asking me out," she said with a sigh.

"You could say that. I just don't want you to dismiss me as a playboy genius. I make an impression in people's lives, and I want it to be indelible in yours. I'm used to be unforgettable, especially for girls."

"I'm not your everyday Mary Sue."

"I know that."

"Pardon me for the cliché, but we were not meant to be."

"Yeah, I guess so." He was standing barely inches away from her.

"I'm not going to be another name in your little black book, Syed Ahsan Abbas. Let me be. I'm not going to be another girl you will end up kissing under this pretext," she said, backing away, a wary look in her eyes.

"So I haven't succeeded."

"You haven't."

"In changing your opinion, I mean. I wasn't going to kiss you. Not publicly."

"But still, you had plans, right?"

"No; if you had agreed, then what would I have not given to let this be my farewell gift for you." She tried to back off, but it was only the wall behind her. It was like a closed fortress. The two were standing really close, and for a moment, she saw real emotion in his eyes. His arms blocked her off from the sides. He was a few inches taller than her, and his dark obsidian eyes looked down upon her with a conflicted, slightly pained, but with a dangerous glint. He leaned closer, and she flashed a smile.

"Nice job, but you've lost the dare," she replied, pushing him away. "There's no way you will get to kiss me."

"How-how did you? Th-there is just n-no way you co-could know," he stuttered.

"I can lip-read, playboy. I knew it the time I saw you mouth something 'unintelligible' to Manan there. I just played along, because I like getting the last laugh. Now I'd rather you move, before I _actually_ punch you in the face. I'm not giving you a hollow threat."

"No way," he said, stepping out of her way. She was known for keeping her word. She walked off, a victorious smirk playing on her face. Her best friend, Subhadra, had witnessed the entire episode and looked at her with amazement.

"Which other abilities are you hiding from me, Miss Mirza?" she asked Hibah playfully.

"I just lip-read this idiot. Trust me, he's quite easy to read. And so is his body language. It was hesitant, conflicting rather, as if he were contemplating whether or not I should be the one to fulfill his dare."

"Hades, you're one heck of a person."

"Thank you for the appraising compliment. I'm tired of being called a super-geek."

"We still have thirty minutes left for our class. Should we sit and chat?"

"Surely. This might be the last time I get to speak to you in flesh and blood."

"Hark! Hear the queen of drama, having just vanquished her king!"

"He's not my king!"

"Fine, fine. But still, you've beat him at his game, haven't you?"

"You could put it that way." Ahsan glared on, irate with the fact that his ace had failed to secure him a victory. Hibah simply turned around and flashed another brilliant smile at him, making the glare more piercing.

"Stop it, Hibah. You're taunting him."

"And what about that piercing taunt he inflicted on me when he said that a girl like me was incapable of doing Physics and Maths?"

"Forget it."

"I really want to, but can't. It had hurt my ego in an unexplainable way."

"You and your melodrama."

"All right. I won't continue with my taunts. Look, we have only 15 minutes left. Let me brush up a bit. We have a GK quiz today." The class came and went, with her team winning effortlessly, due to the fact that her and Ahsan were on the same team of ten.

"Had the last laugh, Mirza?" he said as they left. "What are you?" he said as they were at the gate. It was 7:45 p.m. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, smirk on her lips, leaving him to gape at her as she walked by.

"_Louder than sirens, __Louder than bells,__ Sweeter than heaven,__ And hotter than hell._"


	3. Let The Hunt Begin

"Holly, you have make do," said Artemis, placing down the information he had collected on the elusive yet captivating Hibah Mirza. "All I could gather," sounding quite crestfallen and disappointed.

"Well, this is awkward," said Holly, picking up the sheaf of paper. "Artemis Fowl saying that just 2 pages of only printed information is all he could gather. You've made a mini bio-data. But I know, this is just not enough to ascertain that she is the one."

"No, not because of that. I'm sure; but the thing is, I'm not as well prepared as I usually am. This young lady does not have as much information on herself as I would have preferred."

"Very well, so let me take a look.

Name - Hibah Mirza

Full Name - Hibah Mirza Chughtai

Artemis, couldn't just have clubbed it? Why the two apart?" Holly asked with an exasperated groan. Her reading glasses slipped off, and Artemis picked them up for her. He felt she looked quite good in those; made her look better than any of those spectacle-toting bimbos anyways. "Anyways, let me continue.

Age - Fifteen years, two sixty one days as of 1st August. That makes her birthday as.. LET ME CALCULATE!... 28th November, right?"

"Yes, Holly. 28th November."

"Good. Let's see more -

Father's name.. Mother's name... Occupations... oh, her father used to work for the Forces... nice... studied at a convent... WAIT, studied? What does that mean?"

"That means I have no idea where she went after that," said Artemis, disappointment clear in his words.

"That is a huge problem for us now. I think I must go to India now, to find out where we have leads, since this concerns the People, and I absolutely can't risk it now."

"I know. It's been two months since the last lead. She was publicly, clearly, to be precise, seen outside the Astor and Lenox Library in New York City, posing with her family for a picture. After that, all I could find out was a shot of her at IGI airport. Look," he said, showing her the picture. It showed the Mud Girl in a grey trench coat, plain black boots, black jeans, with a white scarf around her neck, hair open. It was raining at IGI, the clouds an ominous grey blanket on the skyline of the city. Holly saw Artemis study the picture, murmuring the lines from a popular song. "_Louder than sirens, __Louder than bells,__ Sweeter than heaven,__ And hotter than hell. _That's what this picture conveys." Holly couldn't help stifle a smile. Artemis had begun to develop an unnatural attraction for this lily-white pale recluse, someone who had dared to steal Artemis Fowl's personal files, and now begun to infiltrate his consciousness, his very mind. In recent times, Artemis had only hunted for this particular individual, and nothing else. She had become an obsession for him now.

"Louder than sirens, Louder than bells, Sweeter than heaven, And hotter than hell, that's what she is, isn't she, Artemis? _Hotter than hell_?" said Holly, a twinkle in her eyes.

"I didn't mean it that way, I mean-I didn't mean the last line, it's just one of the parts I like about that song, and it's just that she looks good-but-but not that way, no, definitely not the way you presume," said Artemis with a start, trying to cover up while looking at her picture and trying to recollect where he had left his mental chase, and the conclusion he had come upon. In frustration, he tossed the photograph and stormed out of the doors into his balcony, looking into the inky black sky, with its seamless stretch occasionally punctuated by the taller trees of the Irish vegetation. Holly and Butler looked on at the Fowl heir during his retrospection.

"How, how am I supposed to nail someone who has such sensitive information without my usual arsenal of information?" he spoke to himself. "Not just me, the People are at risk in this case. She has to be found, convinced, coerced, _forced,_ to give up what she has. She has to, else a second cross-species war may ensue, and this time, the protectors themselves may turn the attackers, and try as I may, I will not be able to save her.

They won't be ready to even stand someone with the knowledge of their existence. Then how will they react if this girl releases their identity in the media? She's not that stupid; but then, if she gains something, which could be anything, since I do not know, she may be ready to do it. What if she is someone like Opal? Ruthless, devoid of compassion?

Would this 15 year old teenager be putting my world and it's existence at risk? I can't let anyone do this; but then, this won't be a question of me alone; this would affect everyone, and I wouldn't let someone else make the same mistakes I was about to, and had even made when I was 12. Finally, I have a lot to lose; and so does she. She has her entire world to lose. She may lose this war, and then what? She will spend her entire life chained up like Prometheus, her existence draining away, and I just a meek spectator to this spectacle. She's a genius, and above all, someone like me; I can't let another genius destroy itself for a 'greater good' that never was. If I knew how to save a life."

"This may be not as bad as it seems, Artemis," said Holly from the back. "Maybe you're just overreacting."

"And when I hadn't? Then what had happened? Armageddon?" he replied quietly.

"Maybe she's done it without the knowledge of what she's doing?"

"No, Holly. I really don't think so. I just hope you're right, though. Maybe she really doesn't know what she's done."

"A mind-wipe will clean up everything."

"That's not what I want. Mind-wipes are not the solution. And strong minds like hers will not be able to sustain the effects of a mind-wipe for long. Besides, what if she already has a disk prepared to give her back her memories, hidden in some inconspicuous form?"

"We'll destroy it?"

"But can you destroy her mind? Her very conscious and subconscious? **_Tear her_**_** apart**?_"

"No one's gonna do that."

"The Council will. You know they wont stop at a mind wipe. They'll want her obliterated; her existence null and void, yet a painful reminder to those who try to cross the limits the Council sets. And I cannot protect her, Holly."

"Why are you so worried about her? I hope you don't mind me saying this, but does it really matter if she loses a part of herself? And I'll make sure that nothing like this happens."

"Yes. It matters because it is a beautiful mind you're murdering, a genius you're forcibly snatching from the world, someone who will live the rest of her life with conflict in her memories, confusion in her thoughts, nightmares which are actually who she was. You're destroying her essence, and Holly, it doesn't feel right to me. I have felt the after-effects of mind-wipes on a strong mind like mine; sometimes, I feel like the world is a lie, and those mangled thoughts are reality.

And seeing her, it would be like I would see myself being destroyed, piece by piece again. I don't know why, but at this point of time, I want this girl safe, unaware of the brutality of the fairy world which she would face and away from the torture the LEP and Council will stack up for her. I just want her safe and sound, and I don't want anyone in the fairy world to know of even her existence, forget the information she holds. Not even when this is over. Besides, I don't want her to forget all this. Sometimes, the forbidden fruit is better kept bitten, not snatched away from the sinner."

"Then there's only one way."

"And what is it?"

"We have to start our hunt now. Right now."

"**_Then let the hunt begin_**."


	4. An Irritating Head-Start

Holly had arrived at New Delhi. Pungent, putrid, fresh and spunky, it was antiquity and modernity bundled into a city. She arrived at Convent of Jesus and Mary and began her hunt. Having recharged herself with a stopover in the hill-station of Dehradun, and now, running hot on magic, she began her investigation, starting with the _Mesmer's _use on some of the students who would know and get the location of the person Artemis was so after. It wasn't that hard.

* * *

"_Would you know someone who knows Hibah Mirza well, like a best friend?_" she asked a class eighth girl.

"_Sure. There is Soumya Bhasin and Subhadra Jena in eleventh A, who is her best friend. She knows everything about Hibah,_" the girl replied.

"_Thank you. Would you take me to that class?_"

"_Of course. As you wish._" They reached eleventh A, where a slender girl with glasses stood outside the class, talking to a similar looking girl, with their badges reading, **_Soumya Bhasin, President, MUN _**and **_Subhadra Jena, _****_Chairman,_**_** MUN. **__Time to begin, _Holly thought.

"_Subhadra and Soumya,_" she said. They both looked at her. "_Come aside with me. I want to talk to you, by the oak tree._" They readily complied. Feeble minds, thought Holly. "_Take off your glasses._"

"_What is it that you want?_" asked Soumya and Subhara, taking off their glasses.

"_I need to know where Hibah Mirza Chughtai, the Google Science Fair winner, your best friend, is at this point of time. Is she in this school?_"

"_She has already left India,_" replied Subhadra. "_Yes, Hibah has long left,_" chimed in Soumya.

"_For where?_" The answer left Holly dumbstruck.

"_**Ireland**._"


	5. A New Dawn, New Day, The Same Old Story

Artemis' mother was constantly haranguing with her son over topics most parents agreed. This time it was school.

"But Arty, you need to attend St. Bartleby's!" she entreated.

"What good would it do?" he replied.

"It would give you new friends."

"Yes. And new reasons to complain. And homework on topics that are far below my level. Besides, I don't get caviar."

"Arty, now, stop acting like a teenager for once."

"All this while you've wanted me to act LIKE one, not UNLIKE one."

"Arty, my boy, you have to join school. I have selected a whole new wardrobe for you; it's a mix of formal and casual, kind of like what Robert Pattinson sports in those Twilight films. I thought it would look good on your vampiric frame, no pun intended."

"NO! For St. Patrick's sake, mother, not that kind! Please not that kind!"

"Well, it's not really like that. Here, take a look," she said, passing the clothes to him. They really weren't as bad as she had made them look. In fact, they looked quite manageable. But the fact that he would be called as Artemis "Twilight" Fowl was irritating him. The fact that his hair refused to settle down and stayed in their utterly ridiculous tousled form added fuel to the fire. His new wardrobe consisted of numerous black and grey trench coats, a few dozen black jeans, numerous white, black and grey polo shirts and T-shirts and shirts and three pairs of black high-tops, all from Armani.

"They're fine. In fact, they're on the threshold of likeable. I'll wear them," he replied, when his mother engulfed him in a hug.

"Oh, Artemis, I'm so glad you finally like them! I thought I was going to return the entire lot through Diane," she said ecstatically. "Now, the school. You promised that I will never make you wear the Randomosity T-Shirt ever again with those baggy pants if you did."

"Fine; I'll attend, looking at the fact that I will do anything to escape that."

"Good boy. Now we must get ready. I decided you would stay at the boarding as usual, so I'll have these packed and prepared for your departure. Since school starts in just a day, we must leave today."

"Okay. I'll get my things."

"Now that's my boy," Angeline said, ruffling his already disheveled hair. As if this wasn't enough.

* * *

"So, is everything checked? Ready?" Hibah's mother asked. Her daughter was moving into a boarding school, and didn't look too worked up about it. But then, she never really did. Hibah was just packing her telescope in its case. It was a 100mm aperture, 127x magnification telescope, with the power to see stars with a magnitude small as 13.5, and for a portable telescope, that was pretty good.

"Yes, Mother. Ready."

"Clothes, books, your midnight snacks for the first week-"

"Mom, you forgot to pack the Choco-chip cookies! The blue ones!" she said, rushing over to put it neatly in her bag. "Now it's fine," she said with a sigh.

"Okay; your iPad-Nexus, Mac-Windows, iPhone, Android-Lumia are in this bag-" She was famous for individually merging the two systems. It was a prototype which the companies were working on in their secret labs, but, she, with a 2-month sabbatical in Ireland before school, had managed to do it. She thought she was the first. Little did she know that she was the first to _perfect _it. Artemis Fowl the Second was the first to do so.

"-Which I have to carry along with my telescope in my hand. I know that."

"So I believe you're all set."

"Yes, I am. I am ready to attend St. Bartleby's School for Young Ladies and Gentlemen. I'm quite excited, rather. Not worked up."

"I can see that. So now, the cab is waiting; the train will take us to Wicklow, where I drop you, and-"

"-And I go straight to Principal's Guiney's office, meet him, take my assigned room key, keep my stuff, go for an orientation trip around the school, have my lunch, then go back to my room, do whatever I'm required to, take a bath, dress up for dinner, have my dinner, come back, read not till too long and then doze off for my first day as a proper school day at St. Bartleby's. Anything else?" she said with a wide, warm smile.

"No, my little Miss Wikipedia on Wheels. That's it."

"Very well. Let's leave now?" she said and they stepped out of the house they had on the outskirts. Due to her father's _permanent _transfer, they had bought a house in Ireland, but not forfeited their citizenship of India. They stepped into their misty surroundings, the mist hanging like a drape on the landscape. They reached the station and headed for the train to Wicklow, Hibah too engrossed in observing her surroundings that she failed to noticed the auburn-haired, hazel-eyed fairy who watched her in amazement, shock, incredulity and mild wonder.


	6. St Bartleby's

"Artemis, where are you?" said Holly on the comms. mike in her helmet. Foaly had been a real asset when he had been notified of the situation at hand and had proved to provide a lot more information, courtesy some new prototype spy technology he had just developed.

"So, as I was saying, 007 works on the principle of tapping of ion rays, which are being used by India at... Holly, are you even listening?" he said, slightly irate.

"No I'm not! Artemis, where are you?" she snapped.

"I'm at St. Bartleby's and am in my room, dressing for a new day at this school," he said in a bored voice.

"I have some news on Mirza. Some real news."

"Good?"

"Very good. In fact, you-"

"Just tell me!" he snapped, standing in front of the mirror of the bathroom.

"She's in Ireland."

"WHAT? SINCE WHEN? HOW? WHERE? WHY? I NEED DETAILS!"

"Calm down and shut up, Mud Boy. I'll tell you where. She's on a train to Wicklow, to **_St. Bartleby's_**."

"**_WHAT? St. Bartleby's? Where did you see her? How are so sure? _**I should stop talking now," he said, realizing he was practically screaming on the mike.

"You'd better, else I will surely go deaf. I am at the train station, and I just saw her pass, dressed in a grey trench coat-"

"No time for descriptions. Send me the picture."

"Fine. Here you go." He looked at the picture on his phone, and for a moment, was captured by the freshness on her face, like morning dew.

"It's her," he murmured, in slight awe and wonder, as if in a trance. "We finally found her."

"Yes, Artemis. Now stop mooning and swooning over your damsel in near distress and make yourself useful. Prepare to tackle her head on now. I'm sure you can handle the genius on your own."

"Holly, just becuase I'm behaving oddly does not mean I have lost my powers of handling people. I am still the Artemis of old, and now Hibah Mirza will realize just how big a mistake she made by hacking my systems."

"Nice to see the confidence. Don't lose it in front of her, okay?"

"Holly, don't talk rubbish. A fifteen-year old teenager won't make Artemis Fowl II quake in his boots."

"In his Armani high-tops, you mean."

"You and your sarastic sense of humor. Anyhow, the train reaches in about two hours, which means I have enough time to go through the information sent through by Foaly and have a head start."

"I think I'm done here then," said Holly.

"At the train station? Yes. On this mission? No. This concerns you as much as it concerns me."

"Yes, since we've got another potential People's Public Enemy No. 1 and Artemis Fowl's memoir thief."

"I'll talk to you after lunch now. When I do, I hope you and Foaly will have something to add to this."

"Surely. See you soon, Mud Boy."

"Same here. Bye," he said, cutting the phone. Artemis studied the info. forwarded to him, perusing and reading only the important parts, that is to say quite a lot. "Hmm... so she's been a spelling champion, read books and newspapers from the age of three independently, had mild ADHD, lived all her life in Delhi, born in Mumbai, shifted to Ireland due to father's transfer, is adept at more than the languages listed on her Twitter account, likes calligraphy and composing piano sheet music, interests range from Lizst to **_Eminem, _**likes to research on astronomy and world history, particularly the World Wars Era, fond of Rembrandt, other Impressionist artists, a precocious hacker and programmer, has **_perfected dual-OS devices; _**and I thought I was the only one. She's not going to be mind-wiped at any costs. That melodrama one day back should've convinced Holly for it." Artemis was just done reading when the door quietly opened.

Hibah stepped into Principal Guiney's office, eager to get to her room and begin her work. She couteously knocked the door, getting a few looks from onlooking drama queens. They had thought she was one of them, boys wrapped around her finger, but no, she did everything by herself.

"Principal Guiney?" she asked.

"Come in," he called. She stepped in, bags and all.

"I'm Hibah Mirza Chughtai."

"A new student at the school? Ah yes. You got admission just this term and have shifted from India, right?"

"Yes sir. I came to collect the necessary articles."

"Sure. but there is a problem," he said.

"And what may that be?"

"There is no room empty." Actually, there was, but the principal didn't want to send her. She looked at him, eyes narrowed.

"Principal, I believe there is."

"And how can you say that?" he asked, irate.

"Body language, sir. You're clearly lying about the situation. I'm sure I can manage."

"But I don't think the occupant of the room may."

"If it is a young man, I believe?"

"Yes. He's very well-behaved and is a perfect gentleman, but unsocial. I feel someone as bright and open like you must not share rooms with him. Boys do share rooms with girls in extreme circumstances and they are doing right now, but he won't be social and talkative at all. Quite the oppposite actually."

"Sir, if he's well behaved and a gentleman, then I can put up with the unsocial."

"Very well then. Here is the other key-card to the room. You may now leave. I hope you'll have a good term at St. Bartleby's." Hard, if you are Artemis Fowl II's roommate. That boy will scare off this girl so bad she will regret her decision, he thought. He didn't know how things would turn out.


	7. The Roommate

She took her things and left for room no 28, on the threshold of the girl's hostel and the boys. The school heartthrob, James saw her proceed and stopped her midway.

"I have never seen you before. New student, I presume?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Then do you know that is the way to the boy's hostel?"

"Yes I do. I'll be occupying Room 28. Is there a problem? Are you the occupant?"

"No, but the one who is just not the right person for you to share the room with."

"And what is wrong with him?"

"Well, he's anti-social, a real geek; he may look good, but he hates the world like nobody's business. Topper and genius extraordinaire, damn rich too."

"I didn't ask for his bio-data. I asked what the problem is. Don't beat around the bush," she said, eyes questioning.

"Okay, fine. Like I said, anti-social, hater, silent genius, has a knack for taking revenge from those who mock him."

"Fine. He may be anti-social, all the better for me. Hater, I don't really care. Silent genius good for me; I'm one too. Revenge, he needn't take it out on me; I won't mock, deride him like you estrogen testosterone powered machines which we call teenagers in ordinary parlance. You'll be better off out of my way, so kindly move. I've to put my bags in my room." Her eyes scared James Slader so much that he readily moved. She had eyes like Elsa, the Ice Queen from the film Frozen. Eyes that seemed frozen, not blue-grey, but solid obsidian with streaks of warm chocolate brown, but he didn't see those. He only saw the cold and sternness of those eyes.

"Dangerous beauty," he mouthed.

"Call me a dangerous beauty? You have no idea," she said with a smile that would befit an angel, then walked off, entering room 28.

The girl entered, a quizzical look upon her face, as if unsure of who he was and whether he really was that person or not.

"I'm sure Principal Guiney wasn't talking about Asa Butterfield when he said that," she muttered. Artemis looked at himself in the mirror. He did look like that famous child actor Asa Butterfield. In fact, one could pass them off for twins, except for the fact that Artemis' eyes were a deeper shade of blue than Butterfield's, and his hair refused to be tamed. She looked a little longer, her gaze fixated on his eyes, and looked away with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Of course. I'm at St. Bartlebys. How daft can I be? You're Artemis Fowl II; I'm your new roommate," she said, a hand extended. One look, and Artemis knew who she was. His prey had walked straight into his hand.

"I think there must be a mistake. I can't be your roommate. Girls can't share rooms with boys. But I guess I've to do it," he said, trying reverse psychology on her.

"No; they can, and there's no use trying reverse psychology on me. I'm going to share this room with you because I have no choice, and since I have this room pre assigned to me. You must have taken it on a short notice. And judging Principal Guiney's reactions, I'm sure he would've acquiesced even if you had arrived after I had taken this room and blatantly refused to let you be. If you'll move aside," she said with a smile, putting her bags by the empty bed. The room was designed keeping a hotel room in mind, not a school dorm. It was divided into two sections; the first comprised of the beds, with wardrobes, a television screen fixed and night as well as LED panel lights for illumination. The room was colored a shade of sea blue. The second section comprised of two couches and two study tables, along with a refrigerator, microwave and water dispenser. The bathroom was joined with the bedroom.

"I see. You're not as daft as I presumed. I believe you may know about me."

"No. I just heard the kids in the corridors talk about you in very hushed tones. I have good ears, and they, clear voices."

"So," he said with a sigh. "Now to business."

"Yes. Which side have you occupied?"

"The right side."

"Very well."

"Here, let me help you with the bags," he offered, looking at her slightly struggle while hauling them up. He had to build a rapport with this girl if he needed to get it as fast as possible.

"No thanks. I'm not that weak and you're not that strong," she said, breathing out audibly as she put the bags in. "So, timings? I wake up by six fifteen."

"I wake up by seven a.m. generally." Generally, he woke up at sharp six, but he had increased his time so that he could use those 45 minutes for his mission.

"Good. That ways our timings are well fitting in the schedule. I have erratic sleeping hours."

"So do I. Generally after ten thirty."

"Same here; so we're on the same page. Can you sleep with the lights on?"

"Yes, by sticking my head inside like an ostrich." She laughed at that, a twinkle in her eyes, a soft, yet clear laugh. **_Louder than sirens, louder than bells, sweeter than heaven, hotter than hell._**

"That seems quite appropriate. I do it rather like a rabbit, curled up," she said, after she was done laughing. "Helps sometimes."

"I'll try. May work with me."

"So where should I go for the orientation?" she said, looking innocently at him. Artemis assumed his cold behavior again.

"I believe you should go to the valedictorian, who's in the cafeteria all the time."

"Thanks a lot. I'll leave now," she said, moving out of the room, closing the door with a decorous softness. A little later, Artemis entered the bathroom, locked the door and called Holly.

"So, any developments, Mud boy?" she asked him.

"Yes. She's my roommate," he said, keeping calm.

"Aren't girls supposed to share rooms with girls?"

"Well, it's her room anyways. I just took it; I didn't know who the occupant was."

"All righty; so that means you can keep an eye on her 24/7. Good for us. Try breaking into her systems, okay?"

"Well, I will. But first, I'll try to establish a friendship with her. Will make my job a lot more easier. She's trusting, but not very; she's got a suspicious nature."

"You mean a nature like yours; she'll trust you blindly if you become a good friend of hers. But Artemis, I warn you, it has its pitfalls. If she begins trusting you and you break it, which you will, it will hurt you more than it would hurt her. You'll never look at yourself the same way if you get too close to her and then break her trust." He thought of this now; he hadn't thought of it before. "Well, where is she right now?"

"She left for her orientation right now. She asked me if I wished to accompany her."

"She was trying to socialize, you idiot. She was trying to build up a rapport with you. You just ditched the chance. Go catch up with her before some idiot does and she ends up in the supply closet, being forced upon. Looking at her, it's pretty likely."

"Oh, _OH!_" he said and made a dash for it. She was walking with a leisurely pace, looking at the paintings on the corridor walls, when someone caught her wrist. "Who the H-" she said, when she looked into the blue eyes, whose holder was holding her hand. "What is wrong with you, Fowl?" she asked.

"Come with me," he said, dragging her to a quiet spot in the corridor.

"What is wrong with your mental framework?"

"Listen, I don't want you to end up in the supply closet, being forced upon. Looking at you, it's pretty likely," he said, reiterating Holly's lines.

"Fine, and anyhow, I don't even know you properly. Why are you acting like my bodyguard?"

"You'll find out upon entering the class," he replied, then took her along with him. It was only after a few stares along the way that he realized he was still holding on to her wrist. He left it with a sudden jerk, prompting a queer expression from Hibah. _He has certainly lost his marbles. _They entered the classroom, where they sat down on their seats - Hibah in the front and Artemis at the back.

"Good morning students. I am Mister Upton and will be your class teacher. As for announcements, we have two new students, Miss Hibah Mirza and Miss Subhadra Jena, both from India. I would like for all of you to help them, but we need two mentors for these two. Care to volunteer?" the teacher spoke. Before anyone else could speak, Artemis piped up.

"I'll volunteer," he said in his clear, authoritative voice. Heads turned, including the newcomers.

"Artemis Fowl II? You care to volunteer?" the teacher asked. He had been teaching the young boy for half a decade, and seldom had he seen him speak in class to help or represent the school. Perhaps adolescence was doing good to him now.

"Yes sir. I'd surely like to volunteer," he replied.

"Well then, you get the chance. Would you like to choose someone, or shall I allot someone to you?"

"I'd like to act as a mentor to Miss Mirza, sir; she happens to be my roommate, owing to extreme circumstances. I'm sure I'll be a helpful mentor and make sure she learns the ropes of the school as swiftly as possible."

"Well then, that is done. Miss Mirza, your mentor will be Master Fowl," he spoke to Hibah, who saw a look of satisfaction on the boy's face. "Now, who would like to help Miss Jena?"

"I will," said another boy's voice. It was Alexander Patterson, the gentleman of the batch. Alex was famous for bashing up James Slader once since he had misbehaved with a girl in his batch. He was a lean but strong young man, like a panther. More than that, he also happened to be the student second to Artemis Fowl, although by a wide margin. After all, no one could match up to the Fowl scion's intellect.

"Alexander Patterson? What better mentors could we get? The two most gentlemanly and intelligent students of the batch! Well, now that we have the most appropriate mentors for our new students, we must get on with our classes. Today we will be doing classical Greek history," he began. And with that began the eventful term which was to unfold in its own charming, devious and sometimes dangerous ways.


	8. A 'Greeked-Up' Quiz

**_The second part of the chapter has been written with the song "Can't Escape My Love" in mind. Seriously, this song is seven years old, yet Enrique has turned it into an evergreen one. The first and third part has been written with "My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark" in my mind. By Frond's name, these two songs refuse to relinquish their ever-powerful hold on my mind. I seriously hope they haven't made the quality of the fanfiction take a route in the favor of gravity. _**

**_Also, a special shout out to Massachusetts Girl. Thanks a lot for all the messages and the favorite and for that, you get a cookie and a cupcake! Also, thanks to my supporters Isadora-Greenhall, Massachusetts Girl,_** **_ballet022, lk12413, _****_blueturtlepower4ever and chocolate1999; you rock peeps. _****_All you guys get your favorite sweet treats._**

"I would advise the newcomers to sit with their mentors," said Mr. Upton. Hibah and Subhadra got up to sit with their respective mentors, grinning at each other. The two girls were more than happy to meet each other. After all, they were best friends. "So students, like I said, we begin with Classical History. I believe we all have at least some idea of Classical History, don't we?" The students gave a monotonous assent.

"So let's have a basic quiz. The winners of this quiz will go on to compete in the inter-section quiz and then the inter-class. So let's start." Some of them looked excited, while the others simply groaned. Alexander Patterson was smiling and high-fiving Subhadra.

"Time to show our genius," said Hibah, a determined smile on her face. Artemis gave her a wicked smile. "Yes; it's time they know who rules the charts here," he said.

"So," the teacher began. "Who is the ruler of the Pantheon?" Two hands shot up.

"Yes, Mr. Patterson?"

"Zeus." "Or Jupiter," replied Subhadra.

"Correct. Now, the next; Which god's animal is a housebroken animal?" Another hand shot up.

"Athena," replied Hibah. "Minerva in Roman," replied Artemis, smiling absentmindedly. How it reminded him of Minerva Paradizo. "Thinking of Miss Paradizo?" Hibah whispered. He looked at her in wonder and surprise bordering on shock and amazement. He was a study in emotions and she was making good use of it.

"Very well. Which god was chained to a rock for being a traitor?"

"Prometheus," replied Hibah.

"Good. Orion was the mortal enemy of-"

"Artemis," replied Artemis, a Machiavellian grin decorating his face. "Or Diana," replied his partner.

"Nice. Now, Antaeus is the Giantes son of?"

"Neptune," replied Alexander.

"No; Poseidon," said Hibah.

"Correct. The marks are awarded to Artemis and Hibah."

"Hestia is the goddess of?"

"Home and hearth," replied Subhadra. The rest of the students looked at the four with awe and wonder on their faces.

"Very well. Who is the father of Morpheus?"

"Somnus," replied Artemis.

"Good. Now, Cassiopeia was the mother of? Name the spouse of the child too."

"Andromeda, and the spouse is Theseus," said Hibah. Artemis looked at her with a different kind of feeling, like he was proud of her. He probably was, since she was on his team, but then, the questions were so ludicrous that not answering them would have been a shame for someone like her. It was the way she answered was what made him proud. Subhadra and Alexander were answering in haste; she had been speaking like she had all the time in the world, yet she was so fast that no one caught up with her except for him.

"Good. The word Ocean comes from which Greek deity's name?"

"Oceanus," replied Subhadra.

"It's Okeanos," replied Hibah and Artemis, their voices seeming like one, albeit with two sources.

"Correct. It is Okeanos, not Oceanus. I asked the **_Greek _**deity's name." After that the entire class had their eyes turned towards the snobbish genius and his new partner. The two seemed unstoppable. In the midst of all this, the bell rang. "Well, students, time for break. We meet in the last period, and the team has been decided; Artemis and Hibah go ahead." The two shared a grin while the rest of the class left for break.

* * *

"So Hibah, rocking quizzes like always, aren't you? So glad to see you here, cuckoo," said Subhadra, giving Hibah a hug. Artemis had become friendly to Alexander Patterson last term, due to which the lean, smart, athletic gentlemanly boy had become friendly with the lithe Fowl scion. He came and sat down and opened a box of cookies, taking out a container of frozen yoghurt.

"I despise the canteen," he said, offering Artemis cookies. "Cookies?" he asked. Artemis picked one. It was his favorite, after all – chocolate chip. "Gosh, you eat so less, Artemis. What do you have for your breakfast, plain water?"

"No, Alex. I had one of those handmade lasagnas your mother sent me. Quite heavy, they were."

"By Peter's sake, I told mother not to send you those lasagnas! By the way, these cookies were sent by Aunt Angeline, so shove it up, buttercup." He began eating the frozen yoghurt while Artemis picked through his mother's cookies. He made a face when Alexander called him buttercup; after all, he was not a phanerogam, and most certainly did **_not _**belong to Kingdom Plantae. Alex had a few cookies in his hands when he saw the two girls leaving. Putting his spoon down, he rushed to stop them.

"Hey, Hibah and Subhadra, would you mind if you people sit with we two boring gentlemen and have your lunch. If you do not have anything, feel free to share with us. We're free of any contagious diseases, aren't we, Artemis?"

"Except for a slightly acute case of boredom, like you previously stated," he replied.

"I think I can handle that. Besides, I think your definition of boredom is slightly more inclined towards mine of a good conversation with equal amounts of solitude and personal thinking space," Hibah replied. "I'm not sure about this one," she said, pointing towards her best friend. "As for food, I too have a packet of cookies, albeit blue chocolate-chip cookies," she said, sitting in the seat in front of Artemis, turning the chair around to face him. "Care to try?" she asked him. He looked at her, with a little bit of wonder, pondering over the reply she had just given him.

_I think your definition of boredom is slightly more inclined towards mine of a good conversation with equal amounts of solitude and personal thinking space. _The girl had brains as well as a good demeanor, not to mention charming looks and a confident aura. Altogether a rather pleasing combination. "What are you wondering about?" she softly asked. He looked at the extended hand and graciously accepted a blue cookie, nibbling on it.

"Seriously Arty, my brother, you've been lost like this since yesterday. What in God's name is wrong?" asked Alexander. _The girl sitting in front of me, Alex. She's the reason why I'm so lost, _he thought.

"Nothing. Just been wondering about this article I sent for this month's Psychology World. Wondering whether it will be selected," he replied. He knew that was one heck of a perfect lie, and his roommate thought so too, for she began laughing like she had seen the world's most funnies thing in front of her.

"Oh-please-Artemis-Fowl-g-get-getting rejected?" she said, still laughing, holding her stomach. "What a joke. How can anyone reject his works? Especially after that article on the cognitive processing of trauma in teenagers? Have you lost your marbles? Even APA wouldn't reject you, and they're the most picky of all journals!" she concluded, subsiding into laughter again. Only Alex here had the slightest idea of why she was laughing like a deranged lunatic.

"She's got a point. After all, why would they reject F. Roy Dean Schlippe after that article? Even I've read it buddy, and I must say, you're great," he said, grinning. "But I don't get it; why are you laughing like a deranged lunatic?" he asked Hibah.

"Because the great Artemis Fowl here doesn't even know how to lie. He's just pathetic, I must say. Even-" at that she stopped, eyes widening. "I'm sorry. I know that was utterly weird; I apologize for my behavior." Artemis recognized those words; after all, he had penned them down in his diary, and she seemed to realize how she was letting out a secret. She quickly rose, and, feigning thirst, left. Artemis knew the reason, but decided not to follow her; after all, she must not have even the slightest inkling that he knew.

"What just happened?" asked Subhadra, having not followed her friend. She knew Hibah well, and had decided that it was for the better that her friend went alone; in such moments of embarrassment, she preferred to berate herself alone. Only Subhadra didn't know what her friend had actually gone for.

* * *

Hibah rushed to her room and opened her handbag. Phone - check; iPad - check; MacBook Air - check; **_the printed manuscript of the Artemis Fowl files-check; _**her diary - check, wait, where was her diary? She rummaged her bags, only to be disappointed. She eyed her roommate's bags, and decided to rummage those too, albeit with utter cleanliness, putting everything in place. No sign of her diary. Surely he must be having it. On the other end, Artemis smirked sitting amongst his new found friends, clutching the black leather-bound book with a wicked possessiveness. Meanwhile, Hibah decided to move ahead with Plan B. She took out the copy of the manuscript, and, taking out a packet of matchsticks in her bag, set them on fire in the bathroom, after having the smoke sensors deactivated.

The manuscript, printed in miniscule letters, and fitting in 40 pages, burned with a bluish flame. _There is just no way he'll be getting away with this. I have to wipe his files completely. _She started her MacBook and activated the Internet, locking herself in the bathroom. They had Physical Education after this; no problem. She'd an hour's worth of time; good enough. She could easily accomplish her task.

**_Artemis Fowl II, this is what you get when you try to steal my stuff._**


	9. Author's Note

**_To all my readers,_**

**_I know that a few of you may develop a burning desire to kill me in my sleep after reading this, but I will not be updating _****_ANY _****_of my fanfics till 22nd March, due to my final exams being there. After that, I am at your service and ready to deliver more of my fanfics, no matter how crappy they are. I love you guys, but for me, it's exams first and the rest of the world later._**

**_All my Love and waiting for all your brickbats, staplers, rotten eggs and tomatoes,_**

**_AnnaCromwell._**


	10. Wilderness Explorers

Artemis sauntered off to the library, grinning with utter satisfaction. He had Hibah Mirza's diary, all his to ponder and peruse, not to mention a look into the many secrets and facts that she hid so fiercely.  
He took a secluded, unseen spot in the vast library of his school, opening the diary with undisguised curiosity and a touch of impatience.  
It was indeed a moment he had waited for.

"Hmm, a digitized diary," he murmured softly as he tried opening the diary. It had a question which changed each time he attempted.

_"Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"_ the first question was.

"Well, it is an unending chain," he typed.

_"Incorrect. It is the egoist who perceives it the way it has been; an answer so perfect one can see no flaw, yet the answer so flawed. Another one to broaden your spectrum - Who is the ultimate victor - wit or war?"_

"Wit," he answered.

_"An answer so straightforward, it seemed like the layman lays his hands. Well, another question to test the length of your vistas of wisdom - What conquers first, love, envy or greed?"_

"Passion," he answered.

_"Well said,"_ replied the diary, opening up. After that, it was just ink and parchment. It went as follows.

_Dear Diary,_  
_An extremely cliched start for a person like me, who has long been seen among her peers as the epitome of uniqueness and a person with a difference, but honestly, I couldn't think of anything else apart from this. _  
_The beginning of this diary would chronicle the daily activities in my currently mundane life._  
_With all her concern and sincere dedication,_  
_Hibah._

Then came the second post, which continued without a title; the others followed suit.

_Well, isn't it odd for you to be surfing the logs of Twitter, and to discover to your delight and slight fear, presence of a ghost member? That just happened, and if I can trust my optic nerves, the name reads Artemis Fowl. It must be the member's true name, for the security measures taken to obscure existence of the account are tremendous. _  
_I'll still doubt myself over this one though; how can Artemis Fowl be real? He's a fiction character, the stuff of books and thrillers; how can he be a possible human figure? _  
_Am I even on the track of the Artemis Fowl I suspect it to be?_

_It is strange how life moves from one state to another, and now, here I am, leaving my homeland for a very long time. Of course, it is a country I have wished to shift to; the Republic of Ireland. The Emerald Isle has long since fascinated me, with its mysterious stories and its people, ingenuity & creativity a part of their DNA, with a touch of eccentricity. And of course I am attracted to this long-standing secret of the land of the clovers - fairy race. The faeries, as they refer to them, are a hidden species, a race I wish to discover. It is also the reason I wish to move there. _  
_I do not wish their exploitation; if the Artemis Fowl books are correct, as I believe them to be (with no one believing me), then they are not a race I, or anyone else should get in the bad books of. Besides, why should I be a disturbance in their peaceful living? They have already been chased from their rightful place on the Earth, just due to the humans, or Mud People's superiority complex. They deserve a life above surface as much as we do. _

_So this is my main motive of shifting to Ireland. I have already secured my admission in the St. Bartleby's School for Young Ladies and Gentlemen as a meritorious student. Wicklow is the perfect place to start my search as it is the place closest to Tara. The school may be taking us for a trip to Tara and this would be my chance to delve deeper into this matter. I just wish I would reach Ireland much sooner than we have planned. I can't wait._

* * *

_Well, her I am; Eiré. The very first glimpse of the green lands, endless and captivating, and I was hooked. Now I am to spend the coming two years here, and then I'm off to MIT; maybe I'll stay back and study at Trinity. It's going to be good anyways. Keep you posted._

* * *

_I've tried and tried, but Artemis Fowl seems to have taken hold on this, in a fashion that would best suit a fangirl. The frequency at which I'm writing about him is worrying for me. I just hope he's been obsessing about me. I would be at some comfort to know that he's hooked on to the chase, this teenager that seems to have taken hold of his most precious possessions, if he's found out, that is. He would've. I hope he has, else there would be absolutely no fun in this chase. _  
_What fun would it have been for him on hearing from Captain Short that I'm here, in Ireland. I'm just hoping to be there to see his incredulous face when he sees me at the station, if that li'l pampered brat isn't already at Bartleby's, having reached by his Bentley. I've a feeling I won't be seeing him for the next 24 hours._

* * *

_**Hades.** _

_Fowl's my roommate. My **roommate**._

_Why me? And why does he have to look like this, all breathtaking, and his smile just so God-darn-it contagious and captivating? Why is he so good, and that too at almost everything, looks included? _  
_Not that he's not highly intellectual and a prodigy; that's something I can rival him; I can give him a run for his money when it comes to this. And I will. I'll prove it to him that Minerva Paradizo isn't the only human who is able to give him a run for his gold._  
_But then, the other side._  
_Why is he just so cute that I can't get my mind off him? I'll be a wreck if I stay any more in his proximity for a span of more than two hours. That is just not me._  
_I have to get my mind off him, and control this blasted adolescence. I have to. It is absolutely necessary and there is no alternative._  
_Curse those feels! I shouldn't have read House of Hades at this point of time. And not watched Ender's Game yesterday. ASA BUTTERFIELD!_

* * *

Artemis was blushing slightly._ Why does he have to look like this, all breathtaking, his smile just so God-darn-it contagious and captivating?_  
_Why is he just so cute that I can't get my mind off him? _  
These lines wandered in his mind. Did she really think that? Was he so good-looking? Well, her adolescent gushing had put her forward her girlish, vulnerable side, but, instead of thinking up of a way of a way to put this to his advantage, he was thinking of how she thought of him.

"Is Artemis Fowl staggering?" a girl whispered in the to her friend, taken aback by this new development. Artemis was indeed staggering, hands clutching the book, looking slightly dazed, a slight blush creeping up his pale face.

"Isn't he blushing?" the other whispered back.

"He is. But why?" He walked back towards to the hostel, then took a detour and went back to the library instead sitting by the window, a hand running in his hair. He had dealt with Orion quite easily, for he was a part of him, an alter ego he didn't wish to possess. However, dealing with one person's feelings who wasn't your alter ego or a split personality was new to him; he didn't possibly know how to tackle it. If he had been where she is, he would probably keep it hidden and never let that person know if he wasn't sure they felt for him in the same way. _And looking at her, she will do the same; probably this is just an adolescent infatuation; she'll get over it, he thought. I needn't worry. But why am I so concerned of what she will and does think of me? She's just another girl. It's just her diary entries that have me ruffled. That's it._

He didn't know he was muttering this, and that three girls, lurking behind a shelf, were trying to listen for all they were worth. The bell rang, Artemis breaking out of his reverie with it. He headed to his room to get his math textbook and was followed by the same trio of avid fangirls.

"Isn't he just so cute!" one muttered. "Looks just so innocent like this!"

"I know; just so smart too," the other said. "Should I ask him for a school dance in the winter?"

"If only we could get that diary," the third sighed. "And yes, you should."

"You never know; this guy might call his attorneys for 'breach of privacy'," the first said.

"True; I've heard he'd bought off Dean Saunders' hotel chain for calling him 'Left Foot Fowl'," the second chimed in.

"Yeah - I guess it's stupid attempting anything with this guy," a dejected third said.  
He entered his room, only to find the washroom door locked. She didn't look well either, he thought and left with his things. He had no idea of the catastrophe which had occurred.

"Yes!" she whispered jubilantly, seeing the words on the screen. It took 5 more minutes to do it, but it was worth it. **_Files Removed Permanently_**.

"Now try as he may, no technology can get his stuff back. I have every bit of it wiped permanently. So now I'm the only holder of all those files. Arty my boy, you tried messing with the wrong girl. Thought I won't notice the loss of my diary? I must say, you're extremely deluded."

"Sheesh! It's Mathematics; Professor Grace won't forgive me," she said, in a hurry, opening the door, putting all her things in her bag and running a frantic pace all the way till she reached the classroom.

"Miss Mirza, may I know the reason for the delay?" asked a stern-looking lady with a hint of annoyance on her face.

"Professor, I was not well; nausea - I've nut allergy," she said, panting. "I was in my hostel room, Professor."

"And what proof do I have for that statement?" she replied, slightly irate. She had been informed that Hibah Mirza was a brilliant student with very good records of punctuality; she didn't see that yet.

"I saw her, Professor. She's my roommate," replied Artemis, sitting in the front row. "She really wasn't well."

"Hmm; Artemis Fowl testifying," she muttered. "Very well, you may sit. I'm in the hope that this will not be repeated again, Miss Mirza?" she said in a louder voice.

"Yes, Professor. Never again," she said, taking the only vacant seat beside Artemis.

"Thank you," she muttered, then opened her textbook and began, with all the intention to prove to Professor Grace that she was brilliant; she had to live up to her reputation.

"Professor?" she said, walking up to her desk.

"What, Miss Mirza?"

"I'm done with the exercise. I just came to submit mine and Artemis' note books for correction," she quietly said, left the notebooks and proceeded to her seat.  
The teacher went through her notebook first, and saw that she, like her partner, had all questions correct. Moreover, she was a very well behaved student, which made Amelia Grace take a liking to this new girl.

"Miss Mirza, Mister Fowl, kindly collect your notebooks," and Hibah rose, taking her notebook. "I'm impressed, Miss Mirza. Your work is neat and a single mistake cannot be found. Surely Principal Guiney was correct when he said you were a brilliant student," she said with a smile and sent her to her seat.

"Mister Fowl, don't expect for her to get your notebook. Come here and collect it," she said, irritated with the boy's behaviour. When Artemis rose, he could swear he saw a smirk on his partner's face; she'd used the oldest trick in the book to land him in the bad books of the only teacher who had the slightest liking towards the student every teacher loathed The previous teacher had hated Artemis so much as to insult him in front of his parents, which resulted in the immediate removal of the teacher, much to the relief and joy of other students too; he wasn't popular amongst them.

"Sorry Professor; won't do this again" he mumbled as he took his notebook from the teacher "And Fowl, you forgot to round off the fourth decimal, the seventh question. This is most unexpected from you, my boy. It had clearly stated a rounding off to the nearest ten," she said reprovingly. A few took this chance to smirk, snicker and laugh at the otherwise impeccable Fowl.

"Extremely sorry, Professor," he replied and headed to his table. Things in which she was involved were not turning out in his favour at all. Hibah was suppressing a giggle, which was released once the teacher left and she had gone over to her best friend's table.

"Fowl, missing a decimal place?" she said with a giggle. "Alexander, I didn't know your friend was so absent-minded," she said with what look like the innocent smile, but Artemis could see a smug satisfaction on her face.

Had she found out that he had taken her diary? What measures had she taken to exact revenge? He didn't wish to, but desperately needed to find out. As luck would have it, it was their last class of the day which was mandatory; it was library and technology and then the activities class, where all would head to activities they had chosen for the term. Artemis chose a rather mundane activity, calligraphy, so he could focus on his blueprints in the absence of the incessant fussing and tutting from teachers. He headed to the room, fear creeping upon him like a contagious disease.

Now was his turn to act sick.


End file.
